Vehicle lift for wrecking trucks



Jan. 13, 1953 D. G. DALBY ErAL 2,625,279

VEHICLE LIFT FOR wREcKING TRUCKS Attorneys Jan- 13, 1953 D. G. DALBY ET AL VEHICLE LIFT FOR wREcxING TRUCKS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 10, 1950 @/ber @my Marr/Ls E. Smifi;

IN VEN TORS Patented Jan. 13, 1953 2,625,279 vEiCIiE Lir'r Fon WRECKING TRUCKS Delbert G'.- -Dalby and Morris E. smith,

Amarillo, Tex. Application-NW10, 1950, Serial No. 161,122 -2Claims. (CI. 214-86) This invention 1elatesgenerallytofa towing Vve hicle and more 'particularly l'to "a flif boom-assembly capableof. being mounted-on the rear end portion of a frame of a motorvehicle` Al primary obj ect' ol?Y this invention -is fto provide means for handling incapacitated -mo'tor vehicles with a vminimum of damage thereto 'while the same are being hauled, the. device-belingcapable of raising either the front 'or r'ear endVo'f a wrecked `automobile, whether this lautomobile Vbe of modern or older type, andveh-iclesf'of `various typesfof axles and fenders canlbe handled equally well.

Another object of this invention is fte provide av towing vehicle construction which 'makes the handling of incapacitated automobiles relatively safe, the towing Vehicle being easily handled while transporting the .damaged vehicle since the tow bar or axle engaging yoke is pivotally mounted upon the rear -en'd 'of the boom, so that the towed vehicle can trackfproperlyibehind the towing vehicle. y

A last object lto be specifically mentioned is to provide a device -of this lcliaracter'which is relatively inexpensive and ma'c'ticable to manufacture, which is simple .as w'el-l'ias .s afe to operate under various conditions, generally` efficient and durableservlice.

With these objects denitelylinview,g=this invention-resides in ,certain noveltyuin the construction, combination and 'arrangement of "elements and portions and willbe hereinafter described in detail in the v's'pecilic'ation, and particularly pointed out in the appended-claims. trat'ed in the accompanyingdrawings which vr'form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the rear end of the towing vehicle with this invention incorporated thereon;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal central sectional view taken substantially upon the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the axle engaging yoke removed from the boom.

Similar characters of reference designate smilar or identical portions throughout the specii-lcation and throughout the different views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, this invention consists of vehicle frame members I0,

andv illus- 'which will :give Y which will ordinarily havel upwardly arched lpor tions I2 over .the rearwheel's of the vehicle. and horizontal lateral frame members I4, hav-ing; correspondingly upwardly.l arched portions I6, and rigidly and removably secured to the. vehicle frame membersl IU, by-.means of Ubo`ltsfI8. VThe vehicle yframemembersV are illustrated as of channel form and the-members. I'4are preferably of I-beam construction.V rigidly secured to the. upper surfaces of thelateral framev members I4 andthe-sleeper:lbloeks` carry journal seats 22 which coactf with .bear-l ing c aps 24 in rotatably mountingrafroclrer-bar 26 transversely of the towing vehicle, this rocker bar being shown lin the drawings as tubular.

A boom generally numeral '30. iscomprised of a pair -ofspacedfle beams 32, rigidly. secured toand-:betweenapa'r of inverted vV's'haped .membersto move therewith, one` pair of arms 36 of these V-shapedmem-- bers comprisingwhat will be .hereinafterreferred to as a lever arm. 'Ihe apiceso'ftheV-shaped members 34 arejrigidly securedto therocker bai'` 26 by U-bolts 38, orv otherwise.- if, desired,..and collars 40 are rigidly secured` on'jtherockerbar 2S to prevent any possiblejmovementlof tlielboom 30 longitudinally ofitli'erockerfbar 26. Aftransversely disposed link 42wl'lbe securedV across .the under side of an intermediateiportionofheboom 30 and spacer'members 44, 'representedas .bng of I-beam construction, lare rigidlygsecured ltofand between intermediate vand upper end portions' 'of the boom 30. In'thi's regard, lanY angle 'plate '4.6' will also be rigidly Isecured tothe .members 32' and A34 adjacent vthe rocker "bar 26, and itwillbe understood that the members '32', 34 'and 36 are thus rigidly secured together, the above mentioned lever arm construction being completed by the provision of the transverse member 48 rigidly secured to and between the depending arms 36.

The transverse member 48 is pivotally connected to the outer end of a piston 50 operated by a hydraulic cylinder 52, the cylinder 52 being mounted on a transverse member 54 which is pivotally supported, as indicated at 56, upon the lateral frame members I4, near the forward end of the latter. A valve control 58 for the hydraulic cylinder 52 is operated by a push rod 60 terminating in a handle 62 at the rear end of one of the lateral frame members I4, the push rod being illustrated as slidably mounted on a transverse member B4 rigidly secured to and between the said rear end of the lateral frame members I4. It should be particularly noted that the transverse member 64 has a depressed central portion 66 which acts as a seat for the 'boom 30 when the` Sleeper blocks' 2l! are'- .in'di'cated by the referencel latter is in depressed or lowered position. This construction also serves to provide ample clearance for the boom, while serving as a safety feature.

The boom 3D includes rearwardly extending portions 68 having a spacer block 'lll rigidly secured to and between the rear extremities thereof, this spacer block having a vertical bore 1|, indicated in Figure 3, and an axle engaging yoke 12 has a depending pivot pin 14 removably securable in this bore 'H so that the yoke I2 can pivot about a substantially vertical axis when the towlng vehicle is in transit with a towed vehicle mounted thereon. Chains 'i6 are terminally sef cured to the yoke 12 for securing the axle or other 4 lowered, and a hydraulic cylinder mounted on said frame and having a piston rod operatively connected to the forward legs of said v-shaped members.

2. In a towing vehicle including a pair of side beams, a frame having horizontal lateral frame members and a transverse frame member secured to and between the rear ends of said lateral frame members, Asaidlateral frame 'members overlying said beams and being detachably secured thereto, a rocker bar extending between said lateral frame members, means mounted on said lateral frame members rotatably supporting the ends of desired portion of the towed vehicle on the yoke,

while an aperture 18 is provided in the pivot pin 14 to permit a keeper, if desired, to be inserted therein for positively preventing removal of the yoke from the boom. Chains 8d are secured at one end to the lower ends of the lever arm members 36 and are adjustably connected to hooks 82 on the transverse member 613 as a safety lock for the boom in raised position.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from a consideration of the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof,

taken in connection with the drawings and with the above recited objects. It will be clear that all the objects mentioned are amply achieved by this invention. Further description would appear to be unnecessary. Having described the inventiomwhat is claimed as new is: y

l. In a towing vehicle including a Ipair of side beams, avframe having horizontal lateral frame members and a transverse frame member secured to and between the rear ends ci said lateral frame members, said lateral frame members overlying said beams and being detachably secured thereto, a rocker bar extending between said lateral frame members, means mounted on said lateral framemembers rotatably supporting the ends of thefrccker bar, a pair of spaced parallel V-shaped members having their apices secured to the rocker bar, said V-shaped members each including a for- Ward leg and a rear leg, a pair of spaced parallel lever arms disposed between and rigidly secured to the rear legs of said V-shaped members, said arms having forward ends overlying and resting against said rocker bar, said transverse frame member including a depressed central portion forming a seat for the rear legs of said V -shaped members and intermediate portions of said arms when the rear legs of the V-shaped members are the rocker bar, a pair of spaced parallel V-shaped members having their apices secured to the rocker bar, said V-shaped members each including a forward leg and a rear leg, a pair of spaced parallel lever arms disposed between and rigidly secured to the rear legs of said V-shaped members, said arms havingforward ends overlying andresting against said ,rocker bar, said transverse` frame member including a depressed central portion forming a seat for the rear legs of said V-shaped members and intermediate p0rtions of said arms when the rear legs of the V- shaped members are lowered, a forward transverse frame member having ends rotatably secured to the forwards ends of said lateral frame members, a hydraulic cylinder supported on said forward transverse frame member and including a piston rod operatively connected to the forward legs of said V-shaped members, a valve control for the cylinder, and a push rod slidably secured to the first named transverse frame member and connected to the valve control.

DELBERT. G. DALBY. MORRIS E. SMITH.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

r UNITED ,sTATEs YPA'ri-:N'Is

VGermany Sept. 8, 1932 

